Sloppy Defense Leads to Yankees Win (4/29/15)

The whole month of April was a washout for the Boston Red Sox but today's game was the exclamation point. The New York Yankees took advantage of not one, not two, not three but FIVE errors to defeat the Sox 6-4 at Fenway Park to drop Boston to 5-6-1 on the season going into May. Not the best way to end the month of April, that's for sure.

                                                 Aaron Burr hates badly played games

Sox starter Ernie Shore (1-2, 4.30 ERA) wasted no time giving up the game's first run in the top of the first. Then a series of blunders led to a 5 run fourth inning that chased Shore from the game. Dutch Leonard stopped the bleeding but it was too late. The offense mustered a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh then rallied for 2 more in the ninth, but ultimately fell 6-4 to drop below .500 for the season.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but it will have to be Ernie Shore. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up 6 runs and made one of the Sox' 5 errors during the game.

                                                     Shore the Jackass


The Good:

George Ruth pinch hit for Heinie Wagner and drove in a run with a double.

Mike McNally singled and scored in his only plate appearance.

Tris Speaker was 2 for 4 with a walk and drove in a run.

Duffy Lewis was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Dick Hoblitzell was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Dutch Leonard pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and walked at the plate.

Wally Rehg singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Ray Collins pitched 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Hal Janvrin was 0 for 4 with an error.

Hick Cady was 0 for 2.

Del Gainer was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Pinch Thomas was 0 for 1 with an error.

Olaf Henriksen was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was just 1 for 5 but stole a base and scored a run.

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 2 but walked.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 5 with an error but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

Thank god this month is over. The Sox are inconsistent on both sides of the ball and are making way too many errors in the field. The weather hasn't been great but that's no excuse for someone like Hal Janvrin to have 6 errors already. Luckily there is plenty of time to get their act together but today's effort just wasn't going to cut it. The Sox end the month at 5-6-1 and hopefully May will be better. Who knows who's pitching next and when due to all this rain.

Yankees Blank Sox on Two Hitter (4/27/15)

Once again the Boston Red Sox are back to .500 and just like in the first game of the year, they got blanked. This time the New York Yankees came to town and Ray Keating allowed just two hits to the anemic Sox offense. Rube Foster (1-1, 1.99 ERA) was game but couldn't match Keating as the Yankees came to Fenway Park and made a statement by handing the Sox a 2-0 defeat.

                                                 Old Hoss Radbourn is disgusted

Quite simply there was absolutely nothing to cheer about if you were a Red Sox fan unless you were at Fenway unless you are a big Rube Foster fan. Keating and Foster dueled each other for 6 innings before Roger Peckinpaugh knocked in a run in the top of the seventh. The Sox failed to counter and Peckinpaugh knocked in another in the top of the ninth off Ray Collins. That was the only scoring of the game as the Yankees won 2-0.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since the team only mustered two total hits but I'll go with Hal Janvrin. He was 0 for 3 and one of his plate appearances came with Everett Scott on base, meaning he had a chance to double him in or hit a home run to take the lead/tie.

                                                       Janvrin the Jackass


The Good:

Del Gainer walked as a pinch hitter.

Duffy Lewis walked twice in four plate appearances.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the good list. Rube Foster was outstanding tossing 8 innings allowing just 1 run. He also got one of the only Boston hits at the plate.



The Bad:

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 3.

Pinch Thomas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Olaf Henriksen was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ray Collins allowed a run in the ninth.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was 0 for 3 but walked.

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 2 but walked and stole a base.

Tris Speaker was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Mike McNally played second base in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

Another lackluster performance by the Sox who just can't seem to get out of their own way to start this season. They're at 5-5-1 and the only good news is the Philadelphia Athletics are stumbling out of the gate as well. At least the Sox have time to get things right, if the offense ever warms up. The Sox are back in action with Ernie Shore on the mound taking on Marty McHale of the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Senators Pound Sox (4/21/15)

Gadzooks that was bad! Last year's ace Ray Collins (0-2, 6.43 ERA) got absolutely hammered by the Washington Senators while Joe Boehling set down the Boston Red Sox offense. The Sox committed an incredible 5 errors which set the stage for a convincing 11-3 victory at Griffith Stadium.

                                      Eberhard Anheuser can't stand blowouts

Once again Rip Williams lit up the Red Sox but this time had help from Chick Gandil and a home run by Clyde Milan. The Senators pounded out 11 runs on 9 hits as they smashed Collins into submission. Ralph Comstock got tagged for two runs himself in mop up duty. The only two real highlights for the Sox was a 2 run bomb courtesy of Duffy Lewis and the first hit in the major league debut of Mike McNally. Otherwise the Senators took the series with the 11-3 win.

Jackass of the Night is Ray Collins. He allowed NINE runs, albeit 6 earned, in just 6 innings in what was just an absolutely garbage day for the Sox.

                                                         Collins is the Jackass


The Good:

Harry Hooper walked once in two plate appearances before the leaving the game.

Mike McNally was 1 for 2 with a run scored in his major league debut.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Duffy Lewis was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Del Gainer was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Hal Janvrin was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Rube Foster walked as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

Wally Rehg was 0 for 2 after coming in for Hooper.

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 2 with an error.

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 2.

Bill Carrigan was 0 for 2 with an error.

Raymond Haley was 0 for 2.

Ralph Comstock allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.



The Ugly:

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4 with an error.




Final Thoughts:

Holy smokes what a beatdown. Its bad enough everything the Senators hit found a hole but when you commit FIVE errors, that's when you know you've had a bad day. Maybe the Sox spent too much time at Third Base last night, who knows. The good news is tomorrow is another day and speaking of tomorrow, its the Fenway Park home opener. This year the defending champion Philadelphia Athletics are in town with Ernie Shore getting the start against Weldon Wyckoff.

Rip Williams, Senators Sink Sox (4/19/15)

After yesterday's rainout allowed Walter Johnson enough time to pitch today's game, he lived up to his billing as a great pitcher. Even so, one man nearly singlehandedly beat the Boston Red Sox and it wasn't Johnson. Rip Williams, the Washington Senators 1st basemen, drove in all four of Washington's runs as Johnson shut down the Boston attack. When it was all said and done Washington had won the game 4-2 at Griffith Stadium.

                                             Archduke Ferdinand doesn't like Walter Johnson

The Sox wasted no time scoring when Tris Speaker drove in Harry Hooper in the top of the first inning, then Hooper drove in rookie pitcher Carl Mays in the top of the fifth. The Senators fought back to tie the game when Williams drove in 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Ray Collins replaced Mays in the 7th and allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Senators the lead. Johnson slammed the door in the top of the ninth to give the game to the Senators.

Jackass of the Night is Dick Hoblitzell. He went 0 for 4 and bungled an error in the field.

                                                  Dick the Jackass


The Good:

Harry Hooper was 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Pinch Thomas was 1 for 3.

Carl Mays tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, also he singled and scored at the plate.



The Bad:

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 3.

Duffy Lewis was 0 for 4.

Everett Scott was 0 for 3.

Olaf Henriksen struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ray Collins took the loss allowing 2 runs in 2 innings.



The Ugly:

Hal Janvrin was 1 for 3 but committed 2 costly errors.



Honorable Mention:

Bill Carrigan caught the bottom of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

Not much you can do against a pitcher the caliber of Johnson, luckily he only pitches once every 4 days. He shut down the Sox offense pretty good and he certainly is something else. The defense coughed up 3 errors which led to two unearned runs. Mays pitched well all things considering and hopefully next time out he'll get some run support. Tomorrow is the final game of the series and Rube Foster gets the ball against Bert Gallia at Griffith Stadium.

Sox Late Rally Sinks A's (4/15/15)

After a pathetic opening day performance by the Boston Red Sox, they redeemed themselves a day later by stunning the defending American League champion Philadelphia Athletics with a late rally in the ninth inning to take home a 5-3 victory at Shibe Park.

                                                 John L Sullivan approves of the win

The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead but starter Ray Collins faltered and left the game trailing 3-2. Olaf Henriksen pinch hit for Ray and walked, scoring on the rbi single by Harry Hooper. Rookie Carl Mays made his major league debut in the bottom of the seventh inning and shut-out the A's the rest of the way. The Sox added two runs in the top of the ninth with Mays slamming in the door in the bottom of the frame to win their first game 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Carl Mays. In his very first professional game he tossed 3 shut-out innings for his first major league win.

                                             The submarine pitcher is the Hero

The Good:

Heinie Wagner was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Duffy Lewis was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Dick Hoblitzell was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Larry Gardner was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Ray Collins got a no-decision as he pitched 6 innings of 3 run ball.

Olaf Henriksen walked and scored as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

None.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was an rbi single.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4.

Bill Carrigan was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. After their freezing cold performance against Herb Pennock and the A's yesterday, this was a nice bounceback win to show that they can hang with the AL champs. After all the Sox and A's are arguably the two best teams in the American League so it may come down to one of them winning the pennant. The Sox have the offense to match the A's but the question is if they have the pitching. It remains to be seen although the big 20 year old lefty George Ruth takes the mound tomorrow in the finale against Rube Bressier at Shibe Park.